PWSA Issues Precautionary Flush and Boil Water Advisory for Certain Areas of Pittsburgh

The Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority (PWSA) has issued a precautionary flush and boil water advisory today for some customers in the central and eastern sections of the city. The purpose of the precautionary advisory is to ensure that all drinking water meets regulatory standards. The health and safety of our drinking water is PWSA’s number one priority.

The temporary advisory is the result of recent disinfection and chlorine testing taken at a single location near the Highland Park drinking water filtration plant. A few tests showed low levels of free chlorine in the treated drinking water. PWSA is coordinating with the Pennsylvania Department of Environment (DEP) to ensure that all regulatory requirements for disinfection are met immediately.

The impacted areas are shown on the attached map (also available at www.pgh2o.com homepage). PWSA estimates the flush and boil water advisory affects approximately 100,000 customers in the following neighborhoods:

Customers within the impacted area should do the following before using water for drinking, making ice, washing dishes, brushing teeth, and food preparation until further notice:

1.) Flush your water tap by running water for 1 minute or longer, then 2.) Boil water for 1 minute, and let it cool before consumption

Flushing water brings in fresh water from the main and boiling fresh water kills any bacteria and other organisms that can enter the water. You can also use bottled water. A frequently asked questions document for boiling water can be found on the www.pgh2o.com homepage.

Impacted customers will be notified by PWSA via automated robocalls. Customers in this service area are being advised to flush their taps and then boil their fresh water out of an abundance of caution to ensure that drinking water meets or exceeds all state and federal water quality requirements. The boil water advisory will remain in place until further notice. Customers with questions can go to our website homepage at www.pgh2o.com or call Customer Service at 412-255-2423. Representatives will be available until 9 pm tonight.